Canada to ban marketing of 'light' cigarettes

Published: Tuesday, August 14, 2001

Associated Press

QUEBEC {AP} Canada's health minister announced Monday that he will ban tobacco companies from selling cigarettes marketed under the labels light or mild, saying they mislead the public into a "false sense of security."

Allan Rock said he expected the tobacco industry to challenge the legislation, which could be introduced this fall.

"Let them argue for their right to deceive," Rock told about 500 members attending the annual meeting of the Canadian Medical Association in Quebec City.

"They've continued to mislead the public for decades. Labeling cigarettes as 'light' and 'mild' offers smokers a false sense of security," he said.

Michel Descoteaux of Imperial Tobacco Canada has said the terms light and ultra-light are not misleading because they accurately describe comparative tar levels.

But documents obtained through court proceedings in recent years show that the industry has long been aware that low-tar cigarettes may keep smokers from quitting.

"We have evidence of virtually no quitting among smokers of these brands," says a 1978 document. "There are indications that the advent of ultra-low tar cigarettes has actually retained some potential smokers in the cigarette market by offering them a viable alternative."

According to CTV television, over half of Canada's 6 million smokers choose light or mild cigarettes.